Carol Drinnon: feeding the community with her servant's heart

"What doesn't she [Carol Dinnon] do is probably an easier question," said Candace Esparza. She said Drinnon is well known for creating a puppet ministry, even making the puppets herself.

"They would do performances a couple of times a year for the church," said Esparza. In addition to creating a puppet ministry, Drinnon also runs a food pantry at St. Elmo United Methodist Church and has been doing so for at least a decade.

"She has moved thousands and thousands of pounds of food herself despite her health issues--from the food bank into her van, out of her van, into the food pantry, back out of the food pantry, and then distributing it to the needy in our community," said Esparza.

"She has a servant's heart and just doesn't know how not to give," said Esparza. She did this all while dealing with her own personal health battle. Esparza said she had polio as a young girl and now rheumatoid arthritis, "...because of that she has had knee replacements, hip replacements, and several years ago she broke both her arms at the same time and continued to do her work."

We take our $500 Pay it Forward surprise and go downstairs in the church to where Drinnon is organizing the food pantry or her "home away from home."

"On behalf of NewsChannel 9 and the McMahan Law Firm, we want to give you a Pay it Forward treat of $500. Put those hard working hands out!" said Esparza. "You drive people to the doctor, to the grocery store ... you take them to the pharmacy. You do so much for other people and this is our thank you to you."

Drinnon said at the time we shot our Pay it Forward piece that the pantry is pretty empty because they are re-stocking. She even created a menu so the families receive well-balanced meals: "I wanted to make sure we had food for the different food groups."

Every month at least 45 families, so close to 225 people get a weeks worth of food thanks to Drinnon and this pantry.

"I just feel like there is a need and I feel like God has blessed me and my life," said Drinnon.

Do you know an unsung hero who deserves our Pay it Forward surprise? Nominate here.